What is "Hypospadias"

What is "Hypospadias"

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QUESTION: We are most concerned about our newborn grandson and a condition
called "Hypospadias". Our daughter is so distressed that she will not discuss
this with us, and we hope you will help us by telling us something about the
condition and if our grandson can ever be a normal person?
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ANSWER: I can understand your distress as well as that of your daughter, but
the news is not all that bad. Hypospadias is a congenital defect that occurs
rather commonly in male babies, affecting about one in 300 live born male
infants. The defect affects the urethra, the tube that leads from the bladder
through the penis, and carries the urine out of the body. In cases of
hypospadias the development of this tube is incomplete, and it does not extend
the full length of the penis, ending in an opening which is located somewhere
along the underside of the shaft of the penis. Usually there are no other
abnormalities of the urinary system associated with this condition, which is
easily discovered during the baby's first examination. Although at one time
in the past, surgical correction was performed only on the most severe cases,
new improvements both in pediatric surgical techniques as well as anesthesia
permit surgeons to correct almost all cases of hypospadias. The operation is
usually performed before the child is old enough to retain any memories of the
experience, yet mature enough to safely undergo the procedure. Most surgery
is therefore performed when the child is between 6 and 9 months of age. The
children do not seem to experience a great deal of discomfort and with new
techniques, a fully functioning penis is constructed that has a completely
normal appearance. Complications of the surgery are rare and the surgery may
be performed as either an outpatient or with but a single night's stay at the
hospital. You and your family all need one another now for the moral and
emotional support that will provide you with the patience necessary to await
the best moment to schedule the operation, after which much of your personal
anguish and anxiety can be put behind you.